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" Art of the Cameroon’s is more than art for
the sake of art. It is an inseparable part of life that makes culture
a functioning whole" (Gebauer, 23).
In the Cameroon grasslands,
as in many African cultures, the head is considered the ideal place for
the display of art because it is the center of intelligence and spirituality.
The knobs, or burls, seen on these prestige caps were inspired by the
tufted hairstyles worn by elite males. Wooden sculptures of these elite
males depict the same type of projections from the head. The projections
are made by crocheting cotton threads around short wooden rods. Such projections
are physical manifestations of one’s "inner head."
Cameroon Grasslands cultures,
such as the Bamileke, Bamum, or Bafo, are kingship societies. The patrilineally-inherited
position of king, or Fon, is supported by a secret society of men. The
elite males in control of the government display their wealth and power
through material possessions, such as these hats. Their production and
use are regulated by the Fon himself. The Fon restricts the use of prestige
hats to freemen and a very small number of elite women. [Slaves are prohibited
from wearing the hats or even having hair.] Prestige hats are typically
worn by men during ceremonial occasions. By contrast, the colorful, geometric-patterned,
flat-topped hats (ntamp) also displayed here are worn for daily wear.
Hannah Liverant ’02
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